Breaking Bad: What Did You Think of the Finale?

Published: September 29, 2013

Tonight, we said goodbye to Breaking Bad, AMC’s landmark show. It’s been five seasons and six years and the cast and crew didn’t disappoint. Here’s what happened:

Haggard Walt enters a snow-covered car with his box of money and sits in the freezing cold, trying to figure out what to do. A police car stops nearby but leaves. Walt tells the universe “Just get me home, I’ll do the rest.” and the keys fall in his hand from the visor above.

We next see him in the desert, at a payphone. He cons someone on Gretchen and Elliot’s staff to tell him when they’re coming home. He surprises them at their home and, terrified, they help him unload his trunk full of money into their home. He tells them that they will form a trust and give the nearly $10 million to Walter Junior after he turns 18. If there are taxes owed, it will come from this money, not from them.

They agree, shake on it, and it looks like he’s about to leave when red laser dots appear on their chests. Walt tells his dear friends that if they don’t do as he instructs, he’s hired hitmen to take them out in the future. He made his point.

Walt leaves and picks up Skinny Pete and Badger who have been using the simple laser pointers, not guns. He asks about the meth and they tell him they thought that it was him. Walt realizes that it must be Jesse and he’s not happy as they drive into the night.

We next see Jesse in a woodshop, creating a fine wooden box. It’s his dream life from long ago. Then he comes out of the daydream. He’s still cooking meth in the lab, tethered like a dog on a cable with chained feet and arms.

We see Walt eating breakfast at the diner, the same scene that we saw earlier this season. He goes back to his house to get the ricin and takes a moment to recall a happier time with family and friends. He leaves solemnly.

We see Lydia at her usual breakfast nook and Todd arrives. Walt sits at the counter. He moves quietly towards their table after stopping at another nearby. They’re shocked as he sits with them. He says that he knows they must be nearly out of the methylamine and that he knows a way to make better meth without it. Lydia considers it while Todd is resistant.

As Walt leaves, Lydia asks the waiter for some more of her usual sweetener, Stevia, and he gets some from the nearby table. Greedily Lydia tries to talk Todd into considering what Walt said.

Next, we see Walt in the desert, working out some contraption with a garage door opener, car battery and a machine gun. He notices when his wedding ring, on a string hanging around his neck, comes out from under his shirt.

The next scene takes place at Skyler’s small and dark apartment. She’s sitting at a small kitchen table, smoking, as Marie calls. She asks for a truce and warns her that Walt is back in town. Skyler finishes the conversation and we see that Walt is there.

She asks what she wants and he tells her that it’s over and he’s there to say goodbye. She tells him about the men that threatened his family and he replies that it will all be over tonight. He gives her the lottery ticket with the coordinates of Hank and Steve Gomez’s bodies and tells her to use the information to get the charges against her dropped.

It seems like he’s going to say that he did it all for the family but she stops him. He finishes and admits that he did it for himself. He liked it and was good at it. She knows that he’s not lying to her, for a change.

Walt asks if he can see his daughter one last time and strokes her hair as she sleeps in her crib. We see Flynn getting off the bus and that he’s watched by two DEA agents. Walt is also watching from afar and takes one last look at his son as he enters the humble apartment.

Cut to night and Walt has arrived at the gate of Jack’s compund. After some small talk about his car, they let him into the compound. He’s directed where to park but parks where he likes.

Walt is frisked and checked for wires. They hold onto his wallet and keys as he’s brought inside. They’re dropped on the pool table.

It seems Jack has no intention of making a new deal. He’s about to have Walt shot when Walt calls him a liar, that he agreed to kill Jesse and he’s knows they’re partners in making meth. Jack is outraged by the accusation and has Todd bring Jesse to him, still in chains.

As they wait, Walt secretly takes his keys back. Todd brings Jesse and, after long moments of staring at one another, Walt jumps on Jesse, screaming. He hits the car’s remote and, outside, the trunk opens and Walt’s contraption starts firing at the bunker, cutting down most of the men.

When it’s finished, an injured Walt gets off Jesse. Dazed, Todd is still alive — but not for long. In a rage, Jesse chokes him from behind with his chains, killing him. He finds the lock keys and starts unshackling himself quickly.

Jack is hurt but still alive and, as Walt points a gun at him, he starts to tell Walt that he’ll never get the rest of his money back if he kills him. Walt doesn’t let him finish before shooting him.

Todd’s phone rings (with a “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady” ringtone) and Walt picks it up. An under-the-weather Lydia asks if he (Walt) is dead and Walt assures her they all are. She’s confused about who’s on the other end of the line and Walt tells her that she doesn’t have the flu. She’s dying from the ricin that he slipped into the packet of Stivia she used earlier. He hangs up.

Now free, Jesse is unsure where he stands with Walt. Walt puts the gun down and slides it to his former partner, telling him to do it. Jesse picks up the gun and points it at Walt, ready to kill again.

He demands that Walt must ask him to do it. Walt does but Jesse can’t. He drops the gun and tells him to do it himself.

Jesse goes outside and, before he gets into a spare car, the two exchange small, silent nods. Jesse gets into the car, breaks through the locked fence and speeds away into the night, both laughing and crying that he’s free at last.

Weakened by the injury to his abdomen, the cancer, and life in general, Walt hears the police sirens. As “Baby Blue” by Badfinger plays, he walks to his favorite place, the lab. He lies down and dies (from one of his own bullets). The camera pulls back and the police swarm all around the bunker. Farewell Heisenberg. Good night Walt.

Fade to black, cue the credits and music, end of a great series.

What do you think? Were you satisfied by the finale? Did it accomplish everything you think needed to happen? Are you sorry that Walt died? Jesse lived?

It was fitting. I thought that there was great closure, although I would have liked to see the following…
the bodies recovered,
the missing money recovered,
and a final shot of Sky, Flynn, the Baby and Sky’s sister walking out of a Federal Building, a hug between them and they walk away in different directions.

It had its moments that I thought were great, but overall a little let down. I’m just glad they didn’t have Walt wake from his cancer surgery in season 1 and tell Skyler that he had the weirdest dream.